NATO will set up a new land command in Finland near the Russian border next year, tasked with leading the alliance's land force operations in northern Europe in the event of a military conflict, the Finnish defence minister said on Friday.

The Finish city of Mikkeli has been picked to host the Multi Corps Land Component Command (MCLCC) of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Finish Minister of Defense Antti Hakkanen said in a press release.

Finland will place a key NATO base less than 200 kilometers (125 miles) from its eastern border with Russia, a move that Helsinki says will "send a message" to Moscow, the Finnish Defense Ministry said Friday.

NATO will set up a new land command in Finland near the Russian border next year, Finnish Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen said on Friday.

Nato’s new unit, known as the Multi Corps Land Component Command, will operate under the alliance’s US-based Norfolk Joint Force Command and work closely with Finland’s land force command, already sit

NATO’s Northern Europe land command will be based in Mikkeli, Finland, enhancing coordination between Finnish and NATO military forces.

On Friday, the head of Finland's defence ministry announced that a new NATO land command would be established at the General Staff of the Finnish Armed Forces in Mikkeli. According to Hakkinen, this decision aims to strengthen the defence of Finland and the entire Northern European region.

The Finnish government was prompted to close all crossing points from Russia to Finland in late 2023 after more than 1,300 third-country migrants without proper documentation or visas — an unusually high number — entered the country in three months,

A NATO ground forces headquarters will appear in Northern Europe. It is planned to be located in Finland near the border with Russia, according to the Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen. The decision to establish the new NATO ground forces headquarters is expected to be made by the defense ministers of the Alliance countries next year.

On Friday, the head of Finland's defence ministry announced that a new NATO land command will be established at the General Staff of the Finnish Armed Forces in Mikkeli. According to Hakkinen, this decision aims to strengthen the defence of Finland and the entire Northern European region.

On Friday, the head of Finland's defense ministry announced that a new NATO land command will be established at the General Staff of the Finnish Armed Forces in Mikkeli. According to Hakkinen, this decision aims to strengthen the defense of Finland and the entire Northern European region.